JP4497214B2 - Document feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a document conveying device that conveys a document from a document placement tray to a document discharge tray through a reading position.

  2. Description of the Related Art In general, a document conveying device that discharges a next document under a document discharged on a document discharge tray in order to align the document reading surface in the order in which the document is discharged is known (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-238252 A

  In such a document discharge method, if the number of documents discharged onto the document discharge tray increases, the frictional resistance increases due to the weight of the document, and the document that is discharged later is less likely to sink underneath. The trailing edge of the document newly discharged onto the tray gradually approaches the pair of paper discharge rollers and may eventually come into contact. When the rear end portion of the discharged document comes into contact with the pair of paper discharge rollers, there is a problem that the rear end portion of the document is damaged or noise is generated by the rotation of the pair of paper discharge rollers.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a document conveying device capable of suppressing contact between a trailing end portion of a discharged document and a pair of discharge rollers.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a document transport device according to the present invention is a document transport device that discharges a next document under a discharged document. Is provided in a conveyance path that connects the document discharge tray, the document placement tray, and the document discharge tray via a reading position, conveys the document from the document placement tray to the reading position, and A transport mechanism for transporting the document from the reading position to the document discharge tray. The document discharge tray includes a tray unit that supports the discharged document and a protruding unit that lifts and lifts the upstream side in the transport direction of the discharged document from below. And a pressing member that comes into contact with the original discharged from the top of the protruding portion on the downstream side in the transport direction from above.

  According to the document conveying apparatus configured as described above, since the protruding portion and the pressing member that comes into contact with the document discharged from the top in the conveying direction downstream from the top of the protruding portion from above, the discharged document is The downstream side in the transport direction from the top is pushed downward by the pressing member, and the upstream side (rear end) in the transport direction is lifted upward from the top. As a result, the trailing edge of the discharged document and the discharge roller pair can be separated from each other, so that the contact between the trailing edge of the document and the discharge roller pair can be suppressed.

  According to the document conveying device of the present invention, the contact between the trailing edge of the discharged document and the pair of discharge rollers can be suppressed, so that the trailing edge of the document is damaged and noise is generated. Can be suppressed.

[First Embodiment]
<Overall configuration of document feeder>
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the drawings to be referred to, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a document transport device, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a document transport unit.
As shown in FIG. 1, the document conveying apparatus 1 mainly includes a document placing tray 10, a document discharge tray 20, and a document conveying unit 30.

  The document placing tray 10 is a portion on which a document to be read (to be conveyed) is placed, and is provided at the lower right side of the document conveying apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

  The document discharge tray 20 is a portion on which a document that has been read (discharged from the document transport unit 30) is placed, and is provided above the document placement tray 10. The detailed configuration of the document discharge tray 20 will be described later.

  The document transport unit 30 is a part that transports a document from the document placement tray 10 to the document discharge tray 20, and is provided on the left side of the document placement tray 10 and the document discharge tray 20 shown in FIG. 1. The document conveying unit 30 has an outer frame composed of a main body frame 30A and a cover 30B provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the main body frame 30A with the lower left side in FIG. 1 as the center, and mainly the main body frame 30A and the cover. A conveyance path 31 is formed by 30B. In addition, the document conveyance unit 30 includes a conveyance mechanism described later in the conveyance path 31.

  Here, in the following description, a traveling direction (a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1) when a document is transported from the document placing tray 10 through the transport path 31 to the document discharge tray 20 is referred to as a “transport direction”. In the following description, the upstream side in the transport direction is simply referred to as “upstream side”, and the downstream side in the transport direction is simply referred to as “downstream side”.

<Configuration of transport route>
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport path 31 is a path that connects the document placement tray 10 and the document discharge tray 20 via the reading position R, and is formed in a substantially U shape. The transport path 31 includes a suction path 33, a lower transport path 34, a curved path 35, and an upper transport path 36.

  The suction path 33 extends substantially horizontally so as to continue from the placement surface 10 </ b> A of the document placement tray 10 toward the downstream side. The suction path 33 has a guide surface formed by the main body frame 30A.

  The lower conveyance path 34 has an inclined portion 34A extending from the downstream end portion of the suction passage 33 toward the diagonally lower left in FIG. 2, and a horizontal portion extending substantially horizontally from the downstream end portion of the inclined portion 34A toward the downstream side. 34B. In the lower conveyance path 34, the lower guide surface of the inclined portion 34A is formed by the main body frame 30A, and the upper guide surfaces of the inclined portion 34A and the horizontal portion 34B are formed by the document guide 37. The lower side of the horizontal portion 34B is exposed to the outside, and this portion is a reading position R.

  The document guide 37 mainly has an inclined portion and a horizontal portion (reference numerals omitted) corresponding to the lower conveyance path 34, and presses a document whose horizontal portion is exposed to the outside at the reading position R. When the document conveying device 1 is used together with a copying machine, a multifunction machine, etc., a platen glass G of a known document reading device (not shown) is disposed below the horizontal portion of the document guide 37. Become. At this time, the document is conveyed with the horizontal portion 34B sandwiched between the document guide 37 and the platen glass G, and the document reading unit such as an image sensor disposed below the platen glass G at the reading position R. The reading surface is read by (not shown).

  The curved path 35 extends in an arc shape upward from the downstream end of the lower conveyance path 34 (horizontal portion 34B), and the conveyance direction is curved from left to right in FIG. The curved path 35 has a guide surface formed by the main body frame 30A and the cover 30B. Although not shown, when the cover 30B is rotated and opened, a part of the curved path 35 is exposed to the outside, and the document jammed in the conveyance path 31 can be removed from this part.

  Note that the lower surface of the upstream end portion of the curved path 35 is directed from a position lower than the upper end G1 of the downstream end portion of the platen glass G toward a nip position between a second conveying roller 47 and a pinch roller 48 described later. An inclined guide surface 35A is formed. As a result, the document conveyed on the platen glass G is conveyed to the curved path 35 without being caught.

  The upper conveyance path 36 extends from the downstream end of the curved path 35 toward the document discharge tray 20 side. The upper conveying path 36 has a guide surface formed by the main body frame 30A. A downstream end of the upper conveyance path 36 is a document discharge port 38.

<Configuration of transport mechanism>
The transport mechanism is a mechanism that is provided in the transport path 31 and transports a document from the document placement tray 10 to the reading position R and also transports the document from the reading position R to the document discharge tray 20. In this embodiment, the transport mechanism includes a suction roller 41, a suction pad 42, a separation roller 43, a separation pad 44, a first transport roller 45, a second transport roller 47, a paper discharge roller 50, and pinch rollers 46, 48, 49, 51. And is composed mainly of.

  The suction roller 41 is a roller for bringing the document placed on the document placement tray 10 toward the separation roller 43, and is arranged with its upper portion exposed near the center below the suction path 33. The suction roller 41 is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown).

  The suction pad 42 is used to reliably convey the document by pressing the document against the suction roller 41, and is disposed above the suction roller 41. The suction pad 42 is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and is biased toward the suction roller 41.

  The separation roller 43 is a roller for feeding documents one by one, and is arranged with the upper portion exposed at the downstream end portion below the suction path 33. The separation roller 43 is rotationally driven by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown).

  The separation pad 44 is for pressing the document against the separation roller 43 to surely separate and feed the document one by one, and is disposed above the separation roller 43. The separation pad 44 is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and is biased toward the separation roller 43.

  The first conveyance roller 45 is a roller for conveying the document in the conveyance path 31. The first transport roller 45 is disposed with the lower part exposed on the lower transport path 34 near the center above the inclined portion 34A and the upper part exposed on the upper transport path 36 near the center below the upper transport path 36. Has been. The first conveying roller 45 is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown).

  The pinch roller 46 is disposed in the state where the upper part is in contact with the first conveying roller 45 near the center below the inclined portion 34A.

  The second transport roller 47 is a roller for transporting the document from the reading position R toward the document discharge tray 20, and is disposed with the lower part exposed on the upper side near the upstream end of the curved path 35. The second transport roller 47 is rotationally driven by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown).

  The pinch roller 48 is disposed on the lower side near the upstream end portion of the curved path 35 with the upper portion in contact with the second conveying roller 47.

  The pinch roller 49 is disposed in the state where the lower portion is in contact with the first transport roller 45 near the center on the upper side of the upper transport path 36.

  The paper discharge roller 50 is a roller for discharging a document to the document discharge tray 20 and is disposed in the document discharge port 38. The paper discharge roller 50 is rotationally driven by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown).

  The pinch roller 51 is disposed in a state in which the pinch roller 51 is in contact with the paper discharge roller 50 from above at the document discharge port 38. The pinch roller 51 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 51 </ b> A along the circumferential direction for pushing out the original by contacting the end on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the original to be ejected at both ends in the axial direction. .

  The pinch rollers 46, 48, 49, 51 are urged toward the abutting rollers 45, 47, 50 by an urging member (not shown). Can be pressed. As a result, the document can be reliably conveyed.

<Operation of the document feeder>
Here, the operation of the document conveying unit 30 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the document conveying unit.
As shown in FIG. 3, the document M1 placed on the document placing tray 10 with the reading surface P1 facing downward is brought close to the separation roller 43 side by the suction roller 41 and the suction pad 42, and the separation roller 43 and the separation pad. 44 is conveyed to the lower conveyance path 34. The document M1 is conveyed to the reading position R by the first conveying roller 45 and the pinch roller 46 with the reading surface P1 facing downward, and the reading surface P1 is read by a known document reading device. Thereafter, the document M1 is conveyed along the curved path 35 and the upper conveyance path 36 by the second conveyance roller 47 and the pinch roller 48, and by the first conveyance roller 45 and the pinch roller 49, and by the discharge roller 50 and the pinch roller 51. The document is discharged from the document discharge port 38 onto the document discharge tray 20 with the reading surface P1 facing upward.

<Document output tray configuration>
Next, the configuration of the document discharge tray 20 which is a characteristic part of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the document discharge tray, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of the pressing member viewed from the direction of the arrow X in FIG.
Here, in the following description, the downstream side of the document is referred to as a “front end portion”, and the upstream side of the document is referred to as a “rear end portion”.

As shown in FIG. 4, the document discharge tray 20 mainly includes a tray part 210, a protruding part 220 provided on the upstream side of the tray part 210, and a pressing member 230 disposed above the protruding part 220. Has been.
The tray unit 210 is disposed above the placement surface 10A of the document placement tray 10, and the upper surface thereof serves as a support surface 211 that supports the discharged document.

  The protruding portion 220 protrudes so that its top portion 221 is higher than the nip position between the paper discharge roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 in the upstream region of the tray portion 210 (near the upper portion of the suction roller 41 and the suction pad 42). Is formed. The protruding portion 220 is formed on the support surface 211 of the tray portion 210 so as to have a substantially mountain shape, and has a downwardly inclined surface 222 that becomes lower than the top portion 221 toward the downstream side. The document discharged onto the document discharge tray 20 is placed on the protruding portion 220 so that the document is lifted from below by the protruding portion 220, and the rear end portion is lifted from the document discharging tray 20. (See FIG. 6).

  The pressing member 230 is formed of a thin resin sheet, and includes a substantially V-shaped pressing portion 231 and mounting portions 232 and 233 extending substantially horizontally from both ends of the pressing portion 231 in the conveying direction. . As shown in FIG. 5, the pressing member 230 has the attachment portions 232 and 233 on the lower surface of the document pressing plate 140 provided above the protruding portion 220, and the document M <b> 1 discharged onto the document discharge tray 20. It is attached so that it may be arrange | positioned in the center of the width direction (direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction. The left-right direction of FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 4, the document pressing plate 140 is formed by a cover 30B, and extends in a bowl shape from above the document discharge port 38 toward the downstream side (right side in FIG. 4).

  In the pressing member 230, the pressing portion 231 (tip 231 </ b> A) is disposed to face the downward inclined surface 222 with a predetermined interval. Therefore, the document discharged onto the tray unit 210 (the projecting unit 220 and the support surface 211) is in a state of being sandwiched between the pressing unit 231 (tip 231A) and the descending inclined surface 222.

  Here, the “predetermined interval” refers to the uppermost document when a predetermined number (for example, 20) of discharged documents are stacked on the tray unit 210 (the protruding portion 220 and the support surface 211). Thus, the interval is set so that the pressing portion 231 contacts (contacts) from above. As a result, the originals discharged onto the tray unit 210 (the protruding portion 220 and the support surface 211) are sandwiched between the pressing portion 231 and the protruding portion 220 (downward inclined surface 222) when a predetermined number of sheets are stacked. It will be.

  The function and effect of the document discharge tray 20 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the state of the document discharged after the second sheet, and FIG. 7A is a view showing the state of the document discharged on the document discharge tray of this embodiment. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a state of a document discharged on a document discharge tray of a comparative example that does not include a pressing member.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the document M <b> 1 discharged onto the document discharge tray 20 is in a state where the rear end portion is lifted from the document discharge tray 20 by the protruding portion 220 (top portion 221). In this state, the next original M2 conveyed by the paper discharge roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 is discharged so that the front end portion first contacts the lower surface of the rear end portion of the original M1 and enters the original M1 as it is. . Since the original M1 is discharged with the reading surface P1 facing upward, the original M2 with the reading surface P2 facing upward is discharged so as to sink under the original M1, so that the originals P1, P2 from the top in that order. Can be aligned.

  As shown in FIG. 7B as a comparative example, when the number of documents discharged onto the document discharge tray 20A increases, the frictional resistance increases due to the weight of the document bundle M, so that it is discharged later. The original is less likely to sink under the original bundle M. For this reason, since the speed at which the document is ejected is faster than the speed at which the document is submerged, the trailing edge of the document being ejected warps upward, and after the document is ejected, the trailing edge hangs down. Then, like the document MN, the rear end portion may come into contact with the discharge roller pair, specifically, at least one of the discharge roller 50 and the pinch roller 51. In such a state, the rear end portion of the document MN is damaged or noise is generated due to the rotation of the paper discharge roller pair.

  On the other hand, in the document discharge tray 20 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, when a predetermined number of discharged documents are stacked (the document bundle M reaches a predetermined number), the document discharge tray 20 is first at the top. The pressing portion 231 of the pressing member 230 comes into contact with the document M1 (original document M1 discharged first) from above. When the document is further discharged, the document bundle M is pushed from above by the pressing portion 231 as the document bundle M becomes relatively thick. Then, the rear end portion of the document bundle M is pushed upward with the protruding portion 220 (top portion 221) as a fulcrum.

  As described above, according to the document discharge tray 20 of the present embodiment, the rear end portion of the document bundle M (discharged document) can be pushed upward by the action of the pressing member 230 and the protruding portion 220. It is possible to suppress the drooping of the trailing edge of the printed document. Further, by pushing up the trailing edge of the discharged document, the trailing edge of the document can be separated from the pair of paper discharge rollers (the paper discharge roller 50 and the pinch roller 51), and the document bundle M can be separated. Since a gap is formed between the vicinity of the rear end portion and the document discharge tray 20, it is possible to make it easier for a document to be discharged later to sink under the document bundle M. As a result, it is possible to suppress contact between the trailing edge of the discharged document and the pair of paper discharge rollers, and it is possible to suppress damage to the trailing edge of the document and generation of noise.

  In the present embodiment, the pressing member 230 (tip 231A) is disposed so as to face the downward inclined surface 222 and sandwich the document discharged between the downward inclined surface 222, and thus the pressing member 230 is a fulcrum. In the vicinity of the protruding portion 220 (top portion 221), the original can be contacted from above. As a result, the discharged document can be reliably pushed up.

  Further, the pressing member 230 is arranged with a predetermined interval (gap) so as to sandwich the discharged document with the downward inclined surface 222 when a predetermined number of discharged documents are stacked. The pressing member 230 can be caused to function when the trailing edge of the document being ejected hangs down (specifically, when the number of sheets in which such a phenomenon occurs is stacked). That is, the pressing member 230 can be prevented from functioning when the original can satisfactorily sink under the previously ejected original (when the trailing edge of the original does not sag).

In addition, since the pressing member 230 is disposed at the center in the width direction of the document, it is possible to suppress the document from being discharged with an inclination with respect to the conveyance direction. When the pressing member is disposed close to one side in the width direction of the document, the pressing member comes into contact with the document, so that the document rotates around the center of the document and is inclined and discharged with respect to the conveyance direction. End up. Further, even when the pressing members are arranged symmetrically, it is possible to suppress the document from being inclined and discharged. However, since the pressing member can be provided as one by placing the pressing members in the center, the cost can be suppressed. The attachment process can be simplified.
Furthermore, since the pressing member 230 is comprised from the resin sheet, it can be manufactured at low cost.

  In the document conveying apparatus 1 described above, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the document M1 is conveyed from the center of the platen glass G toward the end (from right to left in FIG. 3) at the reading position R. The platen glass G (reading glass) of the document reading apparatus can be constituted by a single sheet. Incidentally, when the document M1 is conveyed in the reverse direction (from the left end of the platen glass G to the center) in the structure of FIG. 3, the document M1 enters between the upper surface of the platen glass G and the lower surface of the document conveying device 1. Therefore, the document M1 cannot be sent to the document discharge tray (in the above-described embodiment, the document placing tray 10) located diagonally upward to the right. Therefore, when the document M1 is conveyed in the reverse direction of FIG. 3, the platen glass G is divided into two sheets on the right side of the reading position R, and the lower end is positioned at a position one step lower than the upper surface of the platen glass between them. Is provided, and the upper end of the platen glass G and the lower surface of the document conveying device 1 are not inserted between the upper surface of the platen glass G and the upper surface thereof. Therefore, it is necessary to transport the document M1 to the document discharge tray. Therefore, it is necessary to divide the platen glass G into two sheets in such a conveyance direction (the reverse direction in FIG. 3). However, in the conveyance direction (the direction in FIG. 3) as in the above-described embodiment, Since the glass G can be constituted by a single sheet and the size of the document reading device can be reduced, it is possible to achieve downsizing of a copying machine, a multifunction machine, and the like.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pressing member of the document conveying device according to the second embodiment.
In addition, this embodiment mainly differs in the shape of a press member from above-described 1st Embodiment, The same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component similar to 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing member 330 mainly includes a shaft portion 331 and a pressing portion 332 extending toward the downstream side of the shaft portion 331. The shaft portion 331 is rotatably supported on the lower surface of the document pressing plate 140. The pressing portion 332 has a downstream end that can swing with respect to the document pressing plate 140 with the shaft portion 331 as the center, and the downstream end contacts the document bundle M from above by swinging downward. Touch.

A driving source such as a solenoid (not shown) is connected to the shaft portion 331, and a contact position (solid line in FIG. 8) where the pressing portion 332 contacts the document bundle M by driving of the drive source, and the document bundle M It is displaceable (can be swung) between a retracted position (a chain line in FIG. 8) that is separated from the position.

  The document conveying device of the present embodiment includes a paper discharge sensor 340 that is provided in the vicinity of the paper discharge roller 50 and detects the passage of a document, and a control device 350 that is provided at an appropriate position in the main body frame 30A and controls the operation of the entire device. It has. The control device 350 controls the drive source based on the detection result of the paper discharge sensor 340, and controls the displacement (swing) of the pressing member 330 (the pressing portion 332).

  For example, the control device 350 counts the number of originals discharged to the tray unit 210 by the detection of the paper discharge sensor 340, and keeps the pressing member 330 in the retracted position until the predetermined number of sheets are stacked (counted). ), Control to displace to the contact position. According to this, the same effect as the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

  Further, the control device 350 may control the pressing member 330 (the pressing portion 332) to be displaced between the contact position and the retracted position during discharge of one original. For example, the control device 350 can determine that the leading edge of the document passes through the protruding portion 220 when a predetermined time elapses after the paper discharge sensor 340 detects the leading edge of the document. Using this, the control device 350 keeps the pressing portion 332 in the contact position until the leading end of the discharged document passes through the protruding portion 220, and is displaced to the retracted position after the leading end of the document passes through the protruding portion 220. To control.

  According to this, when the pressing portion 332 is in the contact position, the rear end portion of the document bundle M is pushed up, so that the discharged document can easily enter the document bundle M and the rear end portion of the document. Scratches and noise can be suppressed.

  Even after the discharged document has entered under the document bundle M, the document bundle M is pressed when the pressing portion 332 is in contact with the document bundle M from above. , And the document is less likely to travel downstream. However, since the control unit 350 performs control so that the pressing portion 332 is displaced to the retracted position after the trailing end portion of the document has passed through the protruding portion 233, the document bundle M is not pressed from the pressing portion 332, so that the discharge is performed. The frictional resistance between the original document and the original bundle M is reduced. Thereby, the discharged document can be smoothly conveyed toward the downstream side.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a state during single-sided reading of the document conveying device according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a state during duplex scanning of the document conveying device according to the third embodiment. is there.
In the following description, parts different from those in the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the document feeder 1A is configured to be able to execute both single-sided reading and double-sided reading. The document conveying apparatus 1A is formed with a reversing path 32 that is connected to the conveying path 31 and returns the original after single-sided reading to the reading position R. The conveying direction of the original that has passed the reading position R on the reversing path 32 is formed. Is provided with a reversing mechanism that reverses (reverses) the front end and the rear end to return the reading position R to the upstream side in the transport direction (lower transport path 34). The reversing mechanism includes a first guide member 61 and a second guide member 62 that switch the document path by swinging in the vertical direction, a switchback roller 50A that can change the rotation direction, and a lower side of the switchback roller 50A. It is mainly composed of a pinch roller 52 in contact therewith.

  The document discharge tray 20 of the document conveying apparatus 1A includes a fixed tray portion 21 and a flap portion that is disposed on the upstream side of the tray portion 21 and can swing in the vertical direction around a swing shaft (not shown). 22 mainly. Further, the document conveying apparatus 1A includes a cam 53 for swinging the flap portion 22 in the vertical direction and an operation panel (not shown) for selecting single-sided reading or double-sided reading. The operation panel may be provided in the image forming apparatus main body (such as a copying machine or a multifunction machine) in which the document conveying device 1 is installed.

  When the user selects single-sided reading from the operation panel, the cam 53 rotates counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 9B and swings (lifts) the flap portion 22 to the position shown in FIG. . In such single-sided reading, when a predetermined number of discharged originals are stacked, the pressing member 230 comes into contact with the uppermost original document from above, and the rear end portion of the original bundle M is supported by the protrusion 220. Can be pushed upward. Thereby, the same effect as the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

  On the other hand, when the user selects double-sided scanning from the operation panel, the cam 53 rotates clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 9A to swing (lower) the flap portion 22 to the position shown in FIG. 9B. ). In such double-sided reading, the document placed on the document placing tray 10 is transported to the reading position R by the transport mechanism and is read on the front surface (the surface placed downward on the document placing tray 10). Is read. Then, the document passes under the first guide member 61 that swings upward as indicated by a chain line in FIG. 9B, and is conveyed outward from between the switchback roller 50A and the pinch roller 52.

  Before the entire document is discharged to the outside, the switchback roller 50A rotates reversely by a known control method, so that the document is moved below the first guide member 61 swung downward as shown by the solid line in FIG. Then, it is guided to the reversing path 32, and is conveyed again to the reading position R through the upper part of the second guide member 62 swinging downward as indicated by the solid line in FIG. At this time, since the back side of the original is facing downward, the back side of the original is read at the reading position R.

  Thereafter, the document is conveyed on the curved path 35 and the upper conveyance path 36, passes through the upper part of the first guide member 61 that swings downward as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 9B, and the switchback roller 50A and the pinch roller 51. From the middle of the sheet is discharged onto the document discharge tray 20. At this time, since the document is discharged with the front reading surface facing downward and the back reading surface facing upward, the documents are discharged in a stacked manner on the previously ejected document, so that the documents are sequentially viewed from the bottom. Can be aligned.

  In the document conveying apparatus 1A, since the flap portion 22 is lowered during duplex reading, the upstream end of the document discharge tray 20 (flap portion 22) is disposed below the nip position between the switchback roller 50A and the pinch roller 51. Has been. As a result, the rear end portion of the previously discharged document is positioned below the leading end portion of the discharged document, so that the document conveying apparatus 1A discharges the document so as to be stacked on the previously discharged document. can do.

  At the time of such double-sided reading, the original member is not discharged because it sneaks under the previously discharged original document, so that the pressing member 230 becomes unnecessary. In this embodiment, when the document is not sunk (during double-sided reading), the flap portion 22 is lowered (retracted) so as to be separated from the pressing member 230. Therefore, when the document is sunk (one side) The pressing member 230 can function only during reading.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to above-described embodiment. About a concrete structure, it can change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pressing member 230 is formed of a resin sheet has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and may be formed of, for example, a thin metal plate.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pressing member 230 is arranged at the center in the width direction of the document has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one by one symmetrically with respect to the width direction center of the discharged document Alternatively, a plurality of them may be arranged. Alternatively, one or a plurality of originals may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the document and with reference to this.

  In the above-described embodiment, the pressing member 230 or the pressing member 330 is illustrated, but the pressing member of the present invention is not limited to these. For example, it may be a single plate-like member attached so as to stand up from the lower surface of the document pressing plate 140, or may be a protruding member extending downward from the lower surface of the document pressing plate 140. . In other words, the configuration of the pressing member of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the pressing member can be brought into contact with the discharged document from above and can push up the rear end portion of the document together with the protruding portion. .

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a gap is provided between the pressing member 230 and the downward inclined surface 222 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and in a state where the document is not stacked on the document discharge tray, The pressing member and the descending inclined surface may be disposed in contact with each other. In this case, it is desirable to set the material and configuration of the pressing member so that the pressing member can swing in the vertical direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the pressing member 230 (tip 231A) and the downward inclined surface 222 are disposed to face each other is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it may be arranged at an optimum position according to the specific configuration of the pressing member, for example, further downstream in the transport direction than the above-described embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the document discharge tray 20 is provided above the document placement tray 10 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention can be applied even to a configuration in which the document discharge tray is provided below the document placement tray.

  The configuration of the transport mechanism shown in the above-described embodiment is an example, and the configuration of the transport mechanism is not limited to this. For example, the number and arrangement of each roller can be changed as appropriate. Also, a pinch roller can be employed instead of each pad. That is, the structure and members employed of the transport mechanism can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The configuration of the transport path 31 shown in the above embodiment is an example, and the configuration of the transport path is not limited to this. That is, the configuration of the transport mechanism can be changed as appropriate depending on the positional relationship between the document placement tray and the document discharge tray, the shape and size of the document transport unit, and the like.

  In addition, about the component shown in each above-mentioned embodiment, it can also implement in combination. For example, you may employ | adopt the pressing member 330 shown in 2nd Embodiment as a pressing member of above described 3rd Embodiment.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an overall configuration of a document conveying device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a document conveying unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an operation of a document conveying unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a document discharge tray. It is the figure which looked at the pressing member from the direction of arrow X of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state of a document discharged after the second sheet. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a state of a document discharged onto a document discharge tray according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a view illustrating a state of a document discharged onto a document discharge tray of a comparative example that does not include a pressing member. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the press member of the document conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the state at the time of single-sided reading of the original conveying apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment, (b) is a figure which shows the state at the time of double-sided reading of the original conveying apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Document conveying apparatus 10 Document loading tray 20 Document discharge tray 31 Conveyance path 41 Suction roller 42 Suction pad 43 Separating roller 44 Separating pad 45 First conveying roller 46 Pinch roller 47 Second conveying roller 48 Pinch roller 49 Pinch roller 50 Paper discharge Roller 51 Pinch roller 210 Tray part 220 Protruding part 221 Top part 222 Downward inclined surface 230 Pressing member 330 Pressing member M1 Original M2 Original R Reading position

Claims (10)

In a document transport device that discharges the next document under the discharged document,
A document tray for placing documents,
A document discharge tray for discharging documents,
Provided in a transport path that connects the document placement tray and the document discharge tray via a reading position, transports the document from the document placement tray to the reading position, and transports the document from the reading position to the document discharge tray. And a transport mechanism
The document discharge tray is
A tray for supporting the discharged document,
A protrusion that lifts and lifts the upstream side of the discharged document in the transport direction from below,
An original conveying apparatus, comprising: a pressing member that comes into contact with the original discharged from the top of the protruding portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The protrusion has a downwardly inclined surface that becomes lower toward the downstream side in the transport direction than the top,
2. The document conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is disposed so as to face the descending inclined surface so as to sandwich the document discharged between the pressing member and the descending inclined surface.   The press member is disposed with a gap so as to sandwich the discharged document with the downward inclined surface when a predetermined number of discharged documents are stacked. 2. The document conveying device according to 2.   4. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is disposed at a center in a width direction of the document perpendicular to the conveying direction. 5.   The document feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressing member is made of a resin sheet. The document conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is arranged such that a front end portion that contacts the document is opposed to the downward inclined surface. A pair of discharge rollers for discharging the document to the document discharge tray;
7. The document conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a top portion that is higher than a nip position between the pair of discharge rollers. 8. The pressing member is configured to be displaceable between a contact position that contacts the document and a retracted position that is separated from the document.
And a paper discharge sensor that detects the passage of the document, and a control device that controls the displacement of the pressing member based on the detection result of the paper discharge sensor.
The control device counts the number of documents discharged based on the detection result of the paper discharge sensor, and displaces the pressing member from the retracted position to the contact position when the predetermined number of documents is counted. The document feeder according to claim 1. The pressing member is configured to be displaceable between a contact position that contacts the document and a retracted position that is separated from the document.
And a paper discharge sensor that detects the passage of the document, and a control device that controls the displacement of the pressing member based on the detection result of the paper discharge sensor.
The control device is configured to displace the pressing member from the contact position to the retracted position after a leading end portion of a document to be discharged has passed through the protruding portion based on a detection result of a sheet discharge sensor. The document feeder according to claim 1. The document discharge tray includes a tray portion, and a flap portion that is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction of the tray portion and is provided with the protruding portion and swingable with respect to the tray portion,
Furthermore, a cam for swinging the flap portion in the vertical direction is provided,
When the flap part swings upward, the next original is discharged under the discharged original, and when the flap part swings downward, the next is placed on the discharged original. 2. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document is discharged so as to be stacked.

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